Enslaved
by Lanta
Summary: With the defeat of Voldemort, Severus Snape declared that he was finally free. The Dark Lord had other ideas... as a final revenge, he bound him irreversibly to Harry Potter. Slave fic.
1. Back to School

**Author's Notes **_(please read)_

This is my first attempt at a Harry Potter fic so I hope it comes out okay… I absolutely love slave fics and I don't think there's anywhere near enough of them, so I decided to attempt one myself.

I sadly don't actually have anything planned beyond the first couple of scenes of the next chapter, so suggestions are welcome and even asked for! I know, it's very naughty of me to begin a story without any idea of where I'm going…

Chronology: it's set a couple of months into Harry's seventh year, but completely ignores HBP since the events of that book would make this story really hard to write!

Pairing: Harry/Ginny.

(Sorry for those of you who like slash – I do too actually – I just don't feel equipped to write it, and I do love the H/G relationship in canon. Besides, as much as I love stories like Deepest Bonds or LifeDebt, I don't really think it's realistic that a slave would fall in love with their master… let alone Snape fall in love with a teenage boy that he can't stand!)

Disclaimer: I have absolutely no connection to J K Rowling, her publishers, or anyone else that has anything at all to do with the Harry Potter books or films.

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Snape stood silently next to the wall, watching his new master. Mr. Potter was presently sitting on an armchair, gazing into the fire, preoccupied with his thoughts… that were no doubt concentrating on their impending return to Hogwarts.

It was six weeks since Potter had destroyed the Dark Lord once and for all. Six weeks since almost all of the Death Eaters had been killed or rounded up, six weeks since Harry had been so injured that even using magic it had taken all that time for him to recover… and six weeks since Voldemort had cast an enslavement spell on Severus that had tied him firmly and irrevocably to the one person he liked less than any non-Death Eater on this planet.

Voldemort had found out about Snape's betrayal just two days before the final battle that had ended his life. As Severus had watched his former master die, he could not help gloating, showing the fading Dark Mark on his arm, and crying out that he was now free, free for the first time in two decades.

And Voldemort, being the sadistic bastard that he was, had taken one final, lasting revenge, ensuring that _free_ was something he would never, ever be.

"Are you okay?"

The voice was soft and quiet, its owner looking worriedly at Severus. Harry was fully healed now, and grateful that Voldemort was dead, that the world was now safe again – well as safe as it could ever be – but the joy he should have been feeling was absent. How could he be happy, when one of the heroes who had sacrificed so much to spy for the Order, who should have been receiving awards and accolades, was now facing a life of slavery?

Snape glanced down at his arm, where the symbol of Harry Potter's ownership of him now resided. It was placed, naturally, in the exact same spot as the Mark he had formerly worn.

"I don't think 'okay' is the right word, Master." The tone was expressionless, the term of address forced by the enchantment that now surrounded him. "I have, however, had six weeks to prepare myself, and I am fully capable of doing what is required of me."

"I wouldn't doubt that for a second, Snape." He had, after all, been playing a part for years, doing things that he hated, but the ability to conceal his emotions hardly stopped him from having any.

Snape hesitated. He felt a compulsion to answer his master's question more fully, to obey the implicit order that came with every question or request from the man that now had absolute control over his life. "The thought of being mocked by the children I am supposed to teach does fill me with some horror, Master."

Harry sighed. "They won't mock you Snape. They may not like you, but none of them would condone slavery, and they certainly wouldn't take pleasure in anything done by Voldemort."

"Then they will pity me, which is equally reprehensible."

The door opened, and Remus Lupin appeared. "Your transport is here, Harry," he said softly.

Harry rose instantly, and Snape drew his wand, levitating their two trunks along with Hedwig's cage, and then following his master out of the house that had once belonged to Sirius Black.

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It was strange, being back at Hogwarts. It had only been two months since Harry had left the school to hide from the Death Eaters whilst making plans for the final attack, but everything that had happened since made it seem far, far longer. He felt very little like a student… but then, he had been forced to grow up far younger than most.

Their trunks having already been sent to their respective rooms courtesy of the house elves, they were now entering the Great Hall, where dinner had just been served. It was noisy as they went in, full of chatting teenagers and a few equally talkative teachers, but as people realized who it was that had entered, the noise levels declined, and then pretty much stopped altogether, save for one or two quietly whispered words.

Dumbledore glanced in their direction, and then rose smoothly to his feet, clapping his hands for attention. "I see you have all noticed that Harry Potter has returned to school - in, I am glad to say, good health. You are all aware of what he has been through in the past few weeks, and of what he has achieved; I ask that you all respect his privacy on those events unless he himself volunteers information to you.

"You are no doubt also aware of the appalling fate that has been bestowed on Professor Snape. However, and I must stress how serious I am about this, you are not under any circumstance to attempt to use his new status to your advantage. He remains a teacher at this school, and as such still has full disciplinary authority over you. Before you get any bright ideas of asking Mr. Potter to get you out of any detentions you may earn, you should know that he has already signed a legal statement saying that he will not interfere in any way with Professor Snape's duties as a teacher here at Hogwarts.

"Now, I know you are all eager to begin your meal, so please, eat."

The gathered students turned back to their plates, and the hum of conversation gradually began to build once more. Harry headed over to the Gryffindor table, eagerly greeting his friends Ron and Hermione, before turning to Ginny Weasley and launching into a kiss of such ferocity and hunger that it immediately caused wolf-whistles from nearly everyone at the table.

As the two of them withdrew from each other, Severus bowed formally to the girl who was dating his master. The bond demanded his respect, even subservience toward her; it was, after all, within the realm of possibility that she would one day become his Mistress.

"You may go and eat your tea, Snape," said Harry quietly. Snape bowed again in acknowledgement and thanks for the dismissal, and quickly headed towards the top of the room where the teachers sat next to one another eating their meals. He got a few concerned looks from his colleagues, but all of them knew better than to attempt any type of conversation with him.

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Sitting there in full view of the curious, sympathetic looks of the student population was a humiliating experience to say the least. He comforted himself with a number of his trademark glares at the exasperating children, although being very sure never to direct such an expression towards the table where his master sat, talking with his friends and, together with Miss Weasley, testing the limits of how much physical contact could reasonably be allowed at the dinner table.

The magic Severus was bound with was old, and understandably highly illegal, having not been (officially) used since slavery was outlawed centuries ago. It was also incredibly difficult to perform, requiring much research and study to achieve correctly, and the fact that Voldemort had managed it so easily whilst dying suggested that he had originally been planning to use the spell for a different purpose, most likely to force important and powerful people into his service.

Having never studied the spell himself, and having so far had no chance to do so whilst taking care of his injured master, Snape as yet had only a basic idea of its rules and requirements. However, one thing was for certain: it could not be ignored. It had been hoped, shortly after the spell had been cast, that Harry could simply refrain from giving him orders and that would be the only consequence… but it had soon been proven otherwise.

No, this bond required servitude, and it seemed to employ every means necessary to get it. Although it did not actually force Severus to obey orders in the style of the Imperious curse, it did give him very strong mental urges to do so, and in the event of his disobedience it demanded punishment. If the latter was not given by his master, then it would punish him itself, inflicting pain far beyond anything Harry would ever willingly allow him to experience again.

Worst of all though, it did not require specific orders to secure his servitude and submission. It insisted that he bow whenever he entered his master's presence, and ask permission before leaving; it forced him to walk behind him rather than beside or in front of him, and to do all that was possible to ensure his master's comfort and health. It also ensured that he _would_ serve his master, to the extent that the house elves had been ordered to leave the seventh year Gryffindors' boys' dormitory out of their normal cleaning rounds, so as to give Snape a duty to perform.

Which, of course, meant that he would need to enter the Gryffindor tower on a regular basis. That was sure to be such fun.

His meal finished, he returned to the Gryffindor table, standing quietly in the required submissive posture, his head bowed, until Harry finished what he was saying to Hermione and turned towards him, granting him leave to return to his rooms. Seldom had any words been more welcome.


	2. Lessons and Legalities

**Author's Notes**

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I'm glad you liked it.

Sorry to those of you who thought it was sad, but there's not much I can do about that! Snape's hardly likely to be happy at being enslaved is he? It will most likely improve as the story progresses, but right now they're still figuring out all about the bond and what it means so he's going to be depressed for a while yet…

In response to one review about doing some of the story in Snape's POV - well, I've never liked stories that suddenly switch to first person, unless there's a reason for it like a letter or diary entry. But although I've been writing in 3rd person, I have actually been keeping mainly to Snape's perspective during the scenes where he's present, giving his thoughts and feelings. After all, an 'objective' narration would never describe a class of 17 and 18 year olds as 'annoying teenagers' like I do in this chapter…

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It was finally quiet in the potions lab, and Snape had a chance to prepare before his next class. The lesson before had not been too intolerable - the second-year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were easily subdued from their curiosity and wide-eyed looks with a few harsh words, patented glares and assigned detentions – but the next would not be so easy.

Seventh-year students from all houses... and that meant two very large problems. Firstly, he was uncertain how the members of his own house would react to his presence. He had betrayed the Lord that many of their parents had served, and he was now bound in slavery to someone they detested. He thought Draco Malfoy, at the very least, would most likely refuse to respect the authority of a traitor and a slave.

And the second problem… his master was in that class.

He straightened as a noise alerted him to the arrival of Hermione Granger, and then bowed low as his master entered behind her. Good, Potter had kept his word by arriving early, thus allowing Severus to complete his subservient act without the mocking eyes of the Slytherins. Of course, they had already seen it at dinner the night before, and breakfast this morning, but there was little that he could do about that. He hoped that Potter and Granger had not left their previous class before it finished in order to get here so quickly; but then, they always seemed to know the fastest routes around the castle.

Granger murmured a quiet greeting to him as the two of them sat down at a table and began pulling their things out of their bags. The door opened to admit a pair of chatting Ravenclaws, who hushed immediately at his glare. Apparently being a slave didn't alter his ability to terrify teenage (and adult) witches and wizards, something that pleased him immensely.

As the rest of the NEWT-level class arrived, it dawned on him that they were acting very differently to the children that he had taught in the previous hour. The looks they were given him seemed, on the whole, almost respectful – and respect was something he had rarely seen directed at him before. Fear, yes. Respect… perhaps not. Of course, these were as close to mature as the idiots would probably ever get; some of them had fought in the war, with far greater knowledge of what he had done, and far better understanding of the situation that he now found himself in, than the younger and less experienced second-years.

The final people to arrive were the group of four Slytherins, among them Draco Malfoy. To his surprise, Draco was not glaring fiercely at him… instead, he seemed almost upset as he looked at his Head of House. Was it possible that he _didn't_ take pleasure in what had happened to his former mentor?

Once everyone was seated, he began his instructions for the potion they were to make – but he could not be his usual self, sniping orders at the gathered students. No, he could not give any kind of order to a group that included his master, could not speak in a disrespectful tone. Instead, he was forced to phrase all his instructions as requests – 'Will you…', 'If you will…' and even the much hated 'please' that had to be forced out every time he used it. It was not in the nature of Severus Snape to say please to anyone, let alone a crowd of annoying teenagers.

About half of the group began to get up to fetch potions supplies, and without comment he joined them, collecting the various ingredients that were not included among the students' personal supplies, and placing them in front of his master. Harry accepted them with a quiet 'thank you', ignoring the looks from his classmates.

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"How was your day?" asked Harry as his girlfriend collapsed onto the sofa next to him. The Gryffindor common room was still fairly empty, few people having returned yet from their last lesson of the day.

"Tiring. And… potions was kind of strange."

"Strange?"

"Yeah, Snape was acting kind of weird towards me. He was exactly the same as usual when speaking to the class as a whole, or to any of the others, but when I got something wrong and nearly blew my potion up, he just helped me correct it. Didn't yell at me or take away house points or anything. And you never explained why he bowed to me at dinner last night."

Harry sighed. "It's self-preservation Ginny. He is a slave now."

"But that didn't stop him from snapping at me when I nearly ran into him in the hallway this afternoon!" objected Ron, who was seated in an armchair nearby. "If he just wanted to get on your good side, wouldn't he be careful around me and Hermione as well?"

"It's not me he's worried about Ron," explained Harry. "He knows that I'm not going to do anything harmful to him that I can avoid. He's cautious around Ginny because the bond is telling him to be. Because she's my girlfriend and back when that spell was created, courting a woman meant marrying her. And that would give her authority over him too."

Ginny blinked. "So if we got married, I'd um…" she frowned, in distaste at the words she was saying, "…get joint ownership of him? Like he was a house or something?"

"Essentially. I think I'd still be the primary owner, but you could give him any orders that didn't contradict mine. And he might have to serve you too, I'm not too sure." He gave an annoyed gesture at the book sticking out of his bag, one of the many that he had been using to research the slave bond and what it might mean for him and for Snape.

The youngest Weasley gave a violent shudder. "I hate talking about this. I hate even thinking about it. Slavery… it just makes me feel…"

"Dirty?" offered Hermione, coming to sit down on the arms of Ron's chair and shoving her bag onto the floor. "It's despicable. It's… evil. And with all the research I've done, I still can't find _any_ way to break it! At least, not within the next thirty years."

"Why thirty?" asked Ron with a frown.

"Slave law," explained Harry, grimacing. "Well, back when it was legal anyway. A slave couldn't be freed until it had endured at least three decades of servitude, and that was written into most of the spells. And we're not even sure that's the case in this instance. Voldemort's more likely to have used one of the few spells that _can't_ be broken."

"Lovely," said Ginny, summing up with her sarcasm the feelings of all four Gryffindors.

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"You wanted to see me?"

Snape stood in the Headmaster's office, glaring at Dumbledore who had interrupted his quiet reading in the solitude of his rooms.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Severus, but this is important. As well as highly unpleasant."

He was regarded warily. "Unpleasant."

"Again, yes. Obviously, your… situation… has no actual legality in the present day, and rightly so. However, as much as I may wish it, the magic of your bond will not allow you to remain a fully-independent citizen."

Only Snape's long practice at hiding his feelings allowed him to refrain from a wince at the words. "And I assume you have a way to correct this and to remove my rights as an actual _person_."

Unlike Snape, Albus Dumbledore had no control over his flinching at these words. "The Ministry of Magic has sent over a number of forms for you to sign Severus. Some of them are fairly simple, for instance signing over ownership of your property and finances to Harry. Legalities only; I doubt that he would ever take anything of yours away from you."

Because _of course_ the illusion of owning things himself was equally as good as actually owning them. Dumbledore no doubt thought that it was the lack of ownership that would be the illusion, but then he had never experienced being so totally controlled by the slave bond. Snape would not be allowed to think of his possessions as being his own, no matter how Harry and the rest of the world might see it.

"And the less simple forms?"

"One will give Harry legal guardianship over you." He spoke quietly. "Just as when adults who through physical or mental disabilities cannot make decisions for themselves, can have their guardianship assigned to a relative -"

"Great," Snape interrupted bitterly. "And the other? Or others?"

"One other. Designed to protect Harry. Severus, you must be aware that if certain people learned of some of the things he has been forced to do to you, he could be arrested and tried in a criminal court – and that would be as bad for you as for him, since you would still be required through your bond to serve him. No jury would be likely to convict him – his actions have merely been to save you further pain, it is Voldemort who bears the blame – but we would prefer to avoid it ever getting so far as a trial."

"So I suppose I have to sign something saying he's perfectly free to torture me whenever he feels like it?"

"You know he wouldn't do that, Severus. But basically, yes. The Minister has already signed a pardon for anything Harry may be forced to do to you, but your signature will help immensely."

"Fine. It's not like I have any other choice. But this bond will not allow me to sign anything without my master's approval, as you well know."

"It will allow you to sign these, I am sure. It will probably require it. And if not, I can always send for Harry and ask for his permission."

Snape grunted, took the quill Dumbledore offered him, and began working his way through the stack of legal documents. Thankfully, his master's presence was not required.


	3. Life Debt

**Author's Notes**

This is only a very short chapter, but I thought you'd appreciate having it quickly rather than waiting for me to write a longer one, which could potentially take a while since I have an assignment to write this week…

Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed, it's kind of overwhelming actually – I'm used to writing CSI stories where I get a lot less reviews and a lot less quickly! Particular thanks to people who have given suggestions and ideas, some of which I am thinking of using, and one of which was the basis for this chapter (albeit significantly altered) – so thanks Opal.

(Oh and if there's anyone reading this who also reads my CSI fics… don't fret, Role Reversals isn't dead, it's just in hibernation while I figure out where to go with it.)

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Harry quietly murmured the password and entered Snape's quarters. It felt wrong, just coming in without asking like this, but the almost-consciousness of the slavery bond would be highly unlikely to respond well to him knocking. In actual fact, a master was not supposed to seek out his slave at all, rather the reverse, but summoning Snape to the Gryffindor common room would be sheer cruelty with all his housemates in there, and to go to a third location would be idiocy when he could just save time and come straight here.

The living room was about what he had expected; fairly dark, with a fair amount of books and similar items neatly organized on large shelves – probably alphabetically or by subject matter or some such, he could not imagine Severus Snape just shoving them in any old place – and leather armchairs arranged around a low wooden table.

He called out, and after a pause lasting a few seconds, there was the sound of footsteps coming from the bedroom. The slave emerged, bowing low and murmuring "Master," concealing his own feelings about the intrusion into his personal space and thanking whatever deity there might be out there that he had already finished getting changed when Potter called for him. A slave was not allowed privacy from his master, not allowed to conceal his owner's property from him.

"I'm sorry to just come in here like this," said Harry quietly, "but Hermione's come up with some good news in her research, and I thought you should know."

Snape looked at him, for the first time since the spell had been cast feeling some measure of hope. Oh, he doubted even the Wonder Girl could have found a way to free him, but even the smallest bit of good news would be welcome right now.

Harry lowered himself into an armchair, and gestured permission for Snape to sit also. The potions teacher gritted his teeth: had Harry forgotten that he could not sit on a chair whilst being addressed by his master? He silently lowered himself onto his knees, watching as the other man closed his eyes in pain at the act. Although Severus was among the minority who found kneeling comfortable, it still hurt him to have to show his subservience in such a way.

Harry said nothing about the kneeling however, choosing instead to get straight to the purpose of his visit. "Hermione thinks that because you saved my life two months ago, and on a number of occasions before that, I owe a life debt to you. I know I've saved your life a time or two as well, but she says it doesn't matter, it just means we had a bond between us before Voldemort cast his spell. And according to the book she's been reading, it should have prevented the slave bond from forming at full strength."

Snape looked at the seventeen year old, feeling a variety of indefinable emotions. "What does that mean, Master?"

Harry sent him a slight smile. "Well, for a start, even if Voldemort did pick one of the incantations for permanent slavery, it wouldn't have worked. I'll be able to free you after thirty years."

A deep breath was drawn in. Freedom. Not for three decades, an incredibly long time, but yet… it would come. He would be free again, someday.

"She also thinks that the life debt will prevent me from killing you, or doing you any permanent harm. Not that I ever would anyway, but… I thought you'd be relieved to know that all the same."

It was true; in reality this changed little, he'd never expected Potter to abuse him. But all the same, the relief he felt at these words was tremendous. The belief that Potter had life or death authority over him had been one of the most painful adjustments to make after the onset of his slavery. And now – it wasn't true. It was not just that Potter wouldn't kill him, but that he couldn't. And that, combined with the previous news of his future freedom, was enough to give Severus the first sliver of happiness he had had since this whole thing began.

"'Mione thinks the debt may have other effects too, good ones… but even if it doesn't… you'll be free someday, Severus." The first time that Harry had used his first name.

"Thank you, Master."


	4. Consequences

**Author's Notes**

Thank you once again for all your lovely reviews. I'm sorry for the gap between updates, but I've had essays and other such wonderful things to write recently.

You'll be pleased to know that I do actually know where I'm going now; I've already got the last two chapters worked out in my head, even down to the name of the penultimate one! Unfortunately, I still have to figure out how I'm going to get there…

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"It's a good thing Snape isn't female."

Harry, Ginny and Ron all looked up in surprise at this comment, which came seemingly out of the blue.

"Um, Hermione, are you feeling okay? Because that's a somewhat random and… strange thing to say."

"No, I mean it. I'm reading this book and… well, if he were a woman, any children he had would be in slavery too. The slave bond grows in the womb. As a man, he doesn't have to worry."

Ron snorted. "Can you really see _Snape_ having kids? Who'd sleep with him?" He rolled his eyes at the glare from Hermione. "Well, would you?"

"I'm sure there are women out there who would, Ron." Ginny frowned. "I thought all children of slaves used to be slaves themselves?"

"By law, yes. I suppose they assumed that no free woman would sleep with a slave. And if she did, they could always cast a spell after the baby was born."

Harry winced. "I take it from that statement, that free men did sleep with slaves. And I doubt it was always consensual." His eyes widened as he realised, "That means some of them would be enslaving their own children!"

Hermione agreed with a grimace. "The more I read of these books, learning what slavery used to be like… well, I'm just so grateful for the abolitionists! And… well, I'm grateful to you too, Harry, and everyone who fought the Death Eaters. Voldemort obviously learned that spell for a reason. I think we narrowly avoided having slavery brought back as an institution."

"Unfortunately, Snape didn't manage to avoid it."

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It was the last class of the day, and some idiot Hufflepuff was once again completely messing up his potion. How did he manage to get to NEWT level potions and still make such stupid mistakes?

He strolled over to yell at the offender, and then froze as something snapped beneath his foot. He looked to the side, where his master was bent half way out of his chair, obviously on his way to pick up whatever he had dropped. He removed his foot, and closed his eyes as he saw the now-broken quill.

It wasn't his fault that was for certain. All he had done was walk across the room. If anything, it was his master's fault for being so clumsy as to drop the thing in the first place. And yet… he could already feel the slave bond at work, telling him that he had broken his master's property, that he must be punished… and that if his master did not do it, the slave bond would.

From Harry's eyes, he knew it too. He straightened in his chair and took a deep breath, then sighed. "Just get me a new quill. We'll sort it out after the lesson."

Snape murmured "Yes Master," and quickly retrieved a replacement from his desk. His own; but then, everything that was his was his master's anyway. After delivering it to his master, he returned to his original task of telling the Hufflepuff how stupid he was, and made sure to take out all of his frustration on the idiot. Although he managed to concentrate fairly well on the rest of the lesson, he could not help the undercurrent of worry he was feeling.

What would his master choose as his punishment? As trivial as he might have perceived the offense, the slave bond disagreed. He had damaged his master's property, and even if it might be fixable with a simple charm, that didn't matter. The bond would demand a fairly harsh punishment, and if Harry did not deliver, it would administer it itself.

During those weeks of Harry's convalescence, he had on a few occasions done things to merit punishment. The first time, his master had done nothing, and the pain he had felt as a result had been unbearable. On the second occasion, Harry had tried a simple caning on the hands, and although this had satisfied the magic at work, he had gotten the impression that it had hurt Harry more to perform the task than it had for him to receive it.

What would the punishment be today?

The end of the school day arrived, and the rest of the class hurried out of the room, Miss Granger casting a sympathetic glance in his direction before leaving. He had seen her whispering with his master, and suspected that the two of them had concocted together whatever torture was about to happen to him.

Once they were the only two left in the room, Harry stood, and sighed. "I'm sorry, Severus. This is just… wrong. It was only a quill. Hermione already fixed it. And it was my fault anyway."

He bowed low. "I will accept my punishment, Master," he said stiffly.

A sigh, and his master nodded. "Give me your wand."

Snape stared at him incredulously. What? But his master had given him a command, and as stunned as he was, he could not disobey. He slowly reached into his robes, and then reluctantly held the wand out for Harry to take.

"Thank you." His master pocketed it, shoving it next to his own phoenix-feather wand. "You can ask for it back at breakfast tomorrow."

The incredulity got worse. Potter was confiscating his wand? And the thought of asking for it back, in front of the entire school, the humiliation of having all of them know that this _child_ had deprived him of magic… He closed his eyes. It was exactly the kind of punishment that the bond needed. And in truth, it would not inconvenience him that much; he had little need for his wand that evening. It was a good plan; hurting him without doing any real damage.

Fantastic.

"If you have an emergency need for it then come and ask me. Otherwise, I'll see you at dinner." Harry turned and left, leaving a humiliated slave behind him.


	5. Incredulity

**Author's Notes**

Don't get too excited. Having 2 chapters in one day is not going to be a regular thing! I don't have the time for that. Actually, this is very short and really more of an extension of chapter 4 than anything else.

Thanks to the few people who reviewed the last chapter.

To the person who wrote that there's no point in a slave fic without a love relationship between the slave and master – to be honest, any slaves that fell in love with their masters would probably need psychiatric help, literally. And as much as I love those types of stories – Deepest Bonds is one of my all-time favourite fanfics - that's not the type I'm writing and I said so right from chapter 1. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it.

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"Hey Ginny," Harry greeted as he flopped down into a chair, reaching over to give her a quick kiss on the lips, and grinning slightly at Ron who was glaring at him. Apparently his 'blessing' on their relationship only lasted insofar as he didn't have to see his best friend snog his little sister.

"How'd it go?" asked Hermione.

"As expected. He didn't like it, which I suppose makes it a good punishment. And he doesn't suspect anything."

"What punishment? Who doesn't suspect anything?" This came of course from the boy with the unquenchable curiosity and desire to know everything.

"Snape."

"What happened?" asked Ginny.

"He broke my quill," said Harry with a grimace.

"Ouch."

"So anyway… Hermione came up with a way to punish him without resorting to physical violence."

Ron blinked. "What'd you do, make him stand in the corner on one foot?"

Harry snorted. "I'll bear that in mind for next time. No, I took his wand." He took it out of his pocket and twirled it idly.

Ginny gasped. "Isn't that dangerous, to leave him without defenses?"

"Nope. Not the way we planned it. And anyway, I doubt anyone would want to kill Snape. Any left over Death Eaters or their kids would be far too happy with Voldemort's revenge to try their own."

"They might hex him without killing him! He's defenceless!"

"Not for long honey." Harry smiled, somewhat sadly. "But he thinks he will be, which is the idea. I told him he had to ask for it back at breakfast tomorrow."

"In front of the school?" Ron gaped. "He'll hate that!"

"Just because I told him that doesn't mean it's the truth."

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Dinner was over, and Snape was glad to get out of the Great Hall and go back to the privacy of his quarters. It had not been a pleasant meal; it had only served to remind him of what lay in store for him the next day.

He had to publicly ask for his wand back. Severus Snape had been a servant of Lord Voldemort, had been a spy, and had endured all types of torture, magical and muggle. And yet he feared this humiliation more than any of them. To be ridiculed by children… it felt too much like his own time as a student.

He stopped suddenly, as he heard his name called by a familiar voice. He was in a quiet area of the castle, and had not expected anyone else to be there.

He turned, and then bowed low as he recognised the speaker. "Master."

Harry gave a brief smile, and then held out his hand. Lying on his palm was Snape's own wand.

"Master?" he asked, uncertainly.

"Take it." Harry moved the wand closer and, feeling confused, Snape took it.

Harry took mercy on him. "I never meant to keep it all night Snape, and I really never meant to humiliate you in the morning. I just wanted you to think I would. That was the punishment. I'm sorry if it was a bad one, but I thought it would be better than beating you."

He stared at his master, incredulously. "That's all the punishment – Master? Nothing else? You're not going to make me ask for it back?"

"No. This should be enough. The slave bond isn't asking for more, is it?"

Severus shook his head, feeling bewildered.

"Good." Harry paused. "Snape… this isn't going to work a second time. Now that I've tricked you, and the slave bond, once, I probably won't be able to do it again, definitely not straight away. We need to work out some kind of punishment that we can both live with, because as much as we might try, at some point you're going to break the rules."

He sighed. "I know, Master. And… thank you."

--------------------

Hermione was lying on her bed, engrossed in yet another text about the history of the slave trade. Suddenly her eyes widened and she desperately sped up her reading, before jumping to her feet and rushing out of the dorm.


	6. What Hermione Found

**Author's Notes**

Thanks for all your reviews. I'm sorry I left you with a cliffhanger for a while; I'd been planning to update quickly but then I got a couple of ideas for new HP fics and ended up writing them instead...

Quick plea – I have yet to come up with a suitable punishment for Snape, and I'd like people's opinions on it. Do you think corporal punishment should be used? Or does anyone have any good ideas for ones that Harry would be a bit happier about?

Also, I have already started heading towards the end of this fic. I estimate there'll probably be another 3 or 4 chapters after this one; maybe a couple more if they're short chapters like this one.

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Hermione dashed past a couple of first years talking about Quidditch, only narrowly avoiding knocking them over in the process.

"Harry!"

"He's not here," said Ginny. "I think he and Ron went to get a book out of the library for that Transfiguration assignment you all have to do. What's up?"

"I found something, on the slave bond. I need to speak to him. And Snape, too. If I go get the boys, can you fetch Snape please?"

"Um, sure. Where should we meet? You know if it's important and to do with the slave bond, maybe Dumbledore should be there."

"True… we could meet outside his office I suppose. He'll probably be in there."

"Okay I'll see you in a few minutes."

They both left the Gryffindor common room, separating as soon as they had stepped through the door.

--------------------

Snape heard the knocking on the door to his living room, and growled. Couldn't anyone leave him in peace and quiet anymore?

He strode to the door, and flung it open, only to feel the effects of the slave bond as he realised his anger was directed at his master's girlfriend.

"Miss Weasley," he greeted, bowing slightly.

Ginny felt uncomfortable. Maybe she should have been the one to fetch Harry and Ron, instead. "Hi, um, Hermione sent me to fetch you. Apparently she's found something out about your bond. I don't know what it is."

Snape just nodded, reluctantly leaving his sanctuary and closing the door behind him. "Where are we meeting her, ma'am?"

"Dumbledore's office."

They headed there silently, arriving outside the gargoyle at around the same time as Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Master," he acknowledged quietly, bowing as low as possible without risking losing his balance.

Harry just nodded to him, and quietly uttered "Aniseed balls." The staircase was revealed, and the group walked up, thankful to find Dumbledore present when they reached the top.

"And what might I do for all of you?" asked the Headmaster curiously.

All eyes turned to Hermione and she was suddenly nervous. Her eyes flicked to Snape and then back to Dumbledore. "I – I think I might have found a way to keep Professor Snape here at Hogwarts when Harry leaves."

Hope flickered in the eyes of many in the room. At present it was not impossible for Snape to continue teaching after his Master left school, but it would mean Apparating to Harry's home every weekend and a number of evenings, so as to continue his personal servitude.

"You _think_?" asked Snape, not willing to take her words for granted without further explanation.

"Yes, this book –" she held up the tome clutched in her left hand – "refers to a spell that allowed Masters to send their slaves on long-term assignments without having to have any contact with them. It doesn't give the details, but it does say where they can be found, so if we can find a copy of that book..."

"Indeed."

Hermione faltered. "There's just one problem, sir, and it's pretty big. It mentions a consequence, something that would have to happen at least once every year. I think because the slave would miss out on personally serving their Master for so long, and receiving punishments for any mistakes, that it would have to be… made up for."

Snape's head lifted. "In other words, I might have to spend some of each year debasing myself in front of my Master and being tortured."

Hermione flinched.

"Never mind. I would gladly suffer such a fate if it would allow me freedom for the rest of the year, provided that it were not publicised."

"It's not like we'd tell anyone, Severus," said Harry quietly.

He glanced at the teenager, and simply bowed in reply.

"We don't really know what it means yet though," said Hermione quickly. "I mean, this book only has a couple of paragraphs on the spell. The 'consequence' might not be as bad as you think, sir."

Snape just rolled his eyes. "I am quite sure it will be, Miss Granger. No matter. Dumbledore, you no doubt stand the best chance of finding this book."

"Of course Severus, I will begin looking into it immediately."


	7. Punishment

**Author's Notes**

Thank you for your reviews of the last chapter, and in particular thanks to the many people who gave me opinions and ideas on punishments for Snape.

A few people seem to be convinced that the 'consequence' mentioned in the last chapter means something sexual! Did I really make it sound like that? I've already said this fic isn't slash and Harry cheating on his girlfriend would not go over well… sorry if this disappoints you! Lol.

You know, the web is sadly lacking in fics with Lucius as a slave. The few I've seen are either too dark for my tastes or extremely short… it's very sad. Anyone fancy writing one? Lol. Just a random thought.

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Snape froze.

Seventh year Potions had finished three minutes ago, and he had just yelled at the two students who had been talking to each other rather than leaving his classroom. Completely forgetting that one of them was his Master.

He forced himself to move, going down onto his knees and bowing his head almost to the floor. The ground felt rough on his knees. "I apologize, Master. I will take whatever punishment you choose to give me."

Harry sighed. "Well this is ironic. We were staying behind to talk to you about punishments. Um. Okay, we'll talk about it after lunch tomorrow instead. For now…" He paused. "Hermione… did you say the girl's toilets were flooding again? The ones with Moaning Myrtle?"

"Yes. Are you suggesting he clean them?"

"It should work I think." He glanced at Severus. "You can charm the doors to not allow anyone in. I don't want to humiliate you."

Well that was a relief at least. Although cleaning toilets with that annoying ghost no doubt present, cackling and probably forcing him to redo areas that he had already done, was hardly an appealing prospect. Of course, punishments weren't meant to sound appealing. "Yes, Master. Thank you Master."

"Okay. I don't care when you do it as long as it's today. Don't forget I want to see you tomorrow."

"Where do you want to meet me, Master?"

Harry paused, thought about it. Anywhere in Gryffindor Tower was definitely out of the question. Snape's quarters were a possibility, but they were personal, his sanctuary – maybe not the right place to discuss hurting him. "Do you know where the Room of Requirement is?"

"Yes, Master."

"There, then. Straight after lunch."

"As you wish, Master."

--------------------

Snape was not stupid enough to believe that he could get away with just banishing the water and muttering a few cleaning charms. So he settled for a mix of small-scale spells (unblocking blocked pipes for instance) and more muggle methods.

He was thankful for the spell on the door. In truth this was slightly humiliating anyway, but at least the only people who knew about it were Potter and Granger – and Moaning Myrtle, who was currently trying her best to make his task twenty times harder than it would otherwise have been. But it wasn't really difficult work, only monotonous, and monotony gave him a chance to think.

He was amazed by how mature Potter had become. In the weeks following Voldemort's death, they'd formed a truce; he had done his best to heal his master's wounds, whilst Potter had been - and still was - trying his hardest to get rid of the slave bond. He had even begun, in his most private thoughts, to occasionally think of his master as 'Harry'.

Okay, so there was no great friendship between them and never likely to be, but there was trust now, and an ability to work together that had never been present before his enslavement. He no longer saw Potter as his father, no longer blamed him for James' actions. And in return Harry no longer saw him as nothing more than a Death Eater, no longer labelled him as Dark.

And he knew, that when they came to discuss punishments on the morrow, Harry would not want to use physical pain. He had seen it in the hand caning Harry had given him, had known that Harry hated himself for it, had blamed himself and been far more disturbed by it than Severus himself had. In actuality, Snape would prefer corporal punishment, as long as it was not too harsh – at least it would be over quickly, and he was not unused to pain.

Myrtle dived into yet another toilet and he sighed with resignation as it overflowed.

--------------------

The following afternoon, Snape bowed low as Potter entered the Room of Requirement, which appeared on this occasion to be fairly empty, with light green walls, a soft carpet and two armchairs in the centre.

"Master."

"Hey Snape." Harry fidgeted somewhat, not particularly looking forward to this conversation. "Um… how did the cleaning go?"

"I came very close to casting serious hexes on Miss Myrtle, Master, ghost or no," said Snape, glowering at the memory.

"Yeah, she can be annoying… she once came to visit me in my bath, although I suppose she did end up helping me… anyway I'm babbling. Have you thought at all of what you want your punishments to be?"

He bowed his head. "Whatever you wish them to be, Master."

Sighing at the subservience, Harry continued, "Anyway, Hermione thinks you might prefer corporal punishment, but I'm not sure… am I being selfish? I know I don't to do it but it's you who has to suffer it and if it's easier for you than something else…"

"It is a punishment, Master. It is not supposed to be easy for me. However, it is supposed to be easy for you, and clearly the thought of physically harming me is not."

"Snape – I don't care what the slave bond says. I'm doing this for you, to save you from even more pain, and if I have to do something I don't like to accomplish that then I will. Just tell me – is that what you want? I mean if you'd prefer physical exercise, or anything else…"

Severus paused, considering what to say. "If you truly intend to follow my wishes Master, then I would prefer corporal punishment, yes. I am used to physical pain, it would punish me without too much humiliation involved. I… would prefer muggle methods to magical." He didn't specify why, but there was a reason; pain curses reminded him far too much of the punishments he had received from Voldemort.

"Okay, I'll, er, figure something out."

"I may be able to obtain a whip for you, Master, or some similar instrument."

"Oh." Harry didn't exactly know what to say to this.

"You will no doubt need practice in its usage. I can assist you with this." _I have no wish to let you kill me by accident._

"Yeah, I suppose I will. Thanks." _That means that you already know how to use one. I really don't think I want to know why._

--------------------

"I have managed to locate a copy of the book," said Dumbledore, smiling. "However, it is rare and valuable, and the owner does not wish to let it out of his sight, so he has agreed for us to go to his estate and look at it there."

"That's great!" exclaimed Hermione. Although she was focused on helping Snape, she couldn't help wondering what else was in the book for it to be so prized. Could there be anything else of use inside it?

After she spoke her thoughts out loud, the Headmaster looked thoughtful. "It's quite probable that there are lots of useful things in it, but most likely not ones that could actually help Professor Snape. From the title of the book, it sounds as if it is a journal of some kind; it could easily be someone's private diary. If it were to belong to somebody fairly famous, that could greatly increase its value.

"At any rate, I have set up an appointment with Mr. Fairfaxer for two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately he is not available to meet any sooner. I expect you and Severus will both wish to come, Harry, and Miss Granger is also welcome."

They nodded and left his office, thinking hopefully about the coming weekend.


	8. Something Like Freedom

**Author's Notes**

Okay, maybe I shouldn't have used the word 'whip' in my last chapter. You all seem to be under the impression that I'm about to bring out a cat o' nine tails or something! I meant one more along the lines of a small crop, something that's not even likely to break the skin…

Oh, and why do you all seem to think Mr. Fairfaxer is a bad guy? I've re-read the scene from the last chapter and I just don't get it…! He's not even going to be featured in person.

Once again thank you so much for all your reviews. It looks like I'll probably end up with over 100 by the time I finish this fic, which would be my first time over that amount.

This is basically the last chapter of the main story. There is a short epilogue-type chapter still to come, which should be written fairly soon, and then my attention will flick over to my other WIP, Legal Guardian.

--------------------

"I found it," said Hermione quietly.

They were all in the small library of Mr. Fairfaxer's manor, and she had spent the last few minutes flicking through the leather-bound book, occasionally remarking on things she read, including some fairly interesting spells. The book had been revealed to be the journal of a famous explorer of the eighteenth century, who had no doubt gone on long-distance trips while leaving his slaves to tend to his estate.

She read through it briefly, and then looked up. "I think this should work, Sir."

"What does it entail?" asked Dumbledore, quietly.

"A fairly complicated spell that Harry has to perform. It's in Latin. When it's done, Professor Snape should be able to be away from Harry for up to ten and a half months. During the other one and a half though he'll be forced to act even more like a slave than he has been."

"How, exactly?" asked Snape himself.

"Um, lots of kneeling, bowing… the book calls it 'showing your inferiority'. I think punishments would be a lot worse than normal as well, and you'd have to personally wait on Harry for most of the time. Oh, and…" she trailed off as she read a particular line.

"And what, Miss Granger?"

"When you first saw him again, you'd be given a major punishment… kind of making up for all the ones you missed all year, I suppose. Publicly, although I think just having a few carefully-chosen spectators will do."

Snape closed his eyes for a second. Pain did not frighten him, but the thought of being punished in front of others was not a pleasant one.

"Fine," he said opening his eyes. "I will endure what I must to secure as much freedom as I can. I assume that I will still be required to treat Mr. Potter as my master while he is at school."

"Yes. This spell isn't supposed to give you freedom, Sir, I'm sorry. It's meant to allow slaves to do their master's bidding away from their owner. The punishment at the end is supposed to make them realise that. But we can make it work for us."

"Indeed."

--------------------

Harry stared at the crop in his hand. According to Snape, it would hurt him sufficiently to satisfy the requirements of the slave bond, but would not be likely to break the skin unless Harry wished it – provided that he first learned how to wield it.

'Uneasy' didn't even begin to describe his feelings. But Snape had chosen this punishment for himself, had preferred it to any of the others they could have dreamed up. And the life debt bond would prevent him from permanently harming his slave.

They were standing in the Room of Requirement, and Snape was instructing him on how to use the crop. A dummy stood in front of him, even the lashes of the whip making no marks on its plastic flesh.

He reluctantly obeyed Snape's commands – not that they were phrased as commands; more as quiet requests. But the intent was there.

As he swung once again, he mused on the last few months. He had gained a healthy respect for Snape during his time as the other man's master – not that he had not respected him before the fall of Voldemort, but Severus' reaction to his slavery had been surprising.

Snape had accepted it, to an extent. Oh, obviously he wanted desperately to be free, and it was obvious every time he called Harry 'Master' that he hated it, that every time he bowed in the Great Hall at dinnertime he felt humiliated. And yet, he had coped with it far better than Harry himself could have done.

It was pitiful, in a way. Snape was used to serving – used to doing Voldemort's bidding, or the Order's. Slavery was in some ways a dramatic, humiliating extension of that. Which had, of course, been Voldemort's intention. After all, the spell had been cast in response to Snape's claim of freedom.

And now it would be a long time until Severus could obtain true freedom. Nearly thirty years. He would thankfully have an illusion of it next year, would be semi-free for much of the year provided that he did not see his master during that period. Harry would have to be careful to avoid him whenever he came to Hogwarts to see his mentor Professor Dumbledore. But it would not be true freedom, not until the spell was ended, permanently.

There were times when he wished Voldemort would come back to life, just so that he could kill him again.

--------------------

Harry spoke the last line of the complicated spell, and a mist wrapped itself around him, and around Severus, who was knelt at his feet, his head bowed to the floor. He heard Snape gasp with pain, and then he himself was hit with something, a new kind of binding… and then he was hit with memories, feelings, thoughts that were not his own.

"Oh," he said when the mist faded and the spell appeared to be complete.

"Oh?" asked Hermione, incredulously. "Oh what?"

"I think…" he glanced downwards, at the slave who was still debasing himself. "I think it gave me access to his mind. I can… I can sort of read it."

Snape's head jerked up in shock.

"Hold on." Harry frowned, then nodded. "I think I've managed to shut it off, for now. That was… weird."

"The book didn't say anything about a mind link!" protested Hermione.

"It does make sense I suppose," said Dumbledore tiredly. "If Severus' mind has been connected to Harry's, it would enable Harry to check that his slave was not using his time away to misbehave. Harry, do you think that you can keep it turned off?"

"I – I think so. Or I can keep shutting it off if it comes back, anyway. I won't invade your privacy, if I can help it Professor," he added to the man, gesturing for him to rise.

"Thank you, Master," said Snape, gruffly.

"And how do you feel, Severus?" asked Dumbledore.

"No different than I did before. I believe the best way for us to test the effectiveness of the spell is for my master to send me away for a few days. If I can do that, then it is likely that I can last the full ten and a half months without him."

"Okay, um," Harry glanced at Dumbledore for help.

"I suggest you order him to go to Grimmauld Place for the weekend, Harry. I'm sure he can find some things to occupy himself with. I will arrange for a substitute for his classes on Monday, and he can come back that evening."

"Sure, okay, do that," said Harry, eloquent as usual.

"As you wish, Master." Snape bowed low and left the room.

--------------------

It was many months since the spell had first been cast, giving Snape some relative freedom. Over that time he had been experimenting, parting from his master for longer and longer periods.

And now the summer was over, and it was time for him to go back to Hogwarts, while Harry was due to enter the Auror training centre in two weeks' time.

He cast a feather-light spell on his trunk, mentally checking one last time that he had everything he would need. He had little desire to be forced to come back to his master's home if he had forgotten anything. Harry may have become as close to his friend as was possible for them, but he was still the person who controlled his life, against his will.

His back was still sore, from the punishment he had received yesterday. His master always took care not to actually harm him, and had grown proficient at the technique, but it was supposed to hurt, and certainly filled that requirement. Healing or numbing spells were not permitted unless actual damage had been done.

Still, he was used to pain, had endured it in far greater quantity while under Lord Voldemort's rule than under Harry Potter's. He was an accomplished actor – had been forced to be in order to spy on the Dark Lord - and so would be perfectly able to hide his pain from the students at Hogwarts, just as he had done on various occasions during the previous year.

Harry came into the room, and stood leaning on the doorframe. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Master." He paused, as the spell told him that he should show his subservience in a greater fashion before leaving. He quietly knelt, lowering his head in a show of absolute submission.

"You may rise," Harry said quietly, and regarded him as he did so. "Good luck this year, Severus."

"Thank you, Master."

Harry nodded. "I'll see you in July. Don't forget to contact me if you need permission to go anywhere during the year."

"I doubt the bond would let me forget, Master." He bowed, stiffly, then said, almost against his will, "Thank you for all you have done for me this past year, Master. I… know you have not wished this situation any more than I. You have not taken advantage of it even when you could have, and for that I thank you."

"You're welcome, Severus. I wish that I could have done more."

Again, he bowed, and then reached out for his trunk, disapparating instantly.

Harry just stood there for a moment, taking in that final thank you, and then left the room, almost missing the man who had been constantly around him for so long, and yet so glad for Severus' sake that he now had over ten months of freedom.


	9. Emancipation

**Author's Notes**

Well here we are, the epilogue, the final chapter… hope you enjoy it. Thank you for sticking around this long, and extreme thanks to anyone who reviewed, especially to those of you who reviewed multiple chapters. And thank you in advance for any reviews on this one; I look forward to reading them.

Oh, and don't forget to read the note at the end please.

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Thirty years. Almost to the day.

Thirty years ago Voldemort had died – and this day had been celebrated as a national holiday ever since, despite technically being the day after. After all, the former Dark Lord had died just mere minutes before midnight.

It had not been so much of a holiday for Severus. For him, it was a reminder of what else had happened that day. The day that he had lost his freedom, the day of his enslavement. At least it had crossed another year off his list, putting him one year closer to finally being free.

And now that year, that day had arrived. Thirty years later. Twenty-nine years of an illusion of freedom for ten and a half months of the year, broken up by one and half months of coming back to reality. Of course, he hadn't always managed the full ten. After all, he couldn't hope to avoid Harry Potter completely for all of that time.

He felt almost nervous, walking through Hogwarts towards the Room of Requirement, where he was due to meet his master. He had anticipated this day for so long, and yet now that it had arrived, he felt almost scared. Had he ever, truly, been free in his life? He had gone from being a child under the influence of his father, to a Death Eater under the Dark Lord's control… and then he had served Dumbledore and the Order, before finally being bound to his master.

Being free scared him. But he would not give it up for the world.

His wife walked beside him. Narcissa Snape, once named Malfoy. It had taken a long time for them to renew their friendship, for him to accept that she was not like her deceased husband, that she had not served the Dark Lord willingly. Even once he had accepted it, he refused to get close to her, believing it to be unfit for her to socialise with a slave.

An opinion she had firmly contradicted.

Courting her had not been easy. For a start, he had been forced to seek approval from his master, and despite knowing that Harry would never say no, it had still been one of the most nerve-racking things he had ever had to do. Just getting her to believe that Harry's permission was needed had taken days, and been excruciatingly humiliating.

But he had done it, and Harry had been all too willing to say yes. And true, that was not the only time that his permission had to be sought. Indeed, over the years it had become a regular thing. Nothing had been more humiliating than to be forced to ask to be allowed to sleep with his girlfriend.

It had been embarrassing for Harry, too.

He had not asked permission to marry her. No, she had done that, had spoken to his master before proposing, thus denying Severus any excuse for saying no. And the wedding had been easy – although slaves in the past had been forbidden to marry free women, Severus had never legally been a slave, so the problem had never existed.

Harry had had to be present at the ceremony, of course. Snape could not sign this type of legal document without his master's presence and signature. He had been surprised though, when Harry had brought a wedding gift of another legal document - this time, giving to Narcissa all of the possessions which Severus had previously been forced to sign over to his master.

Snape no longer worked at Hogwarts; he had left shortly after his wife became pregnant. Instead, Harry had him 'on loan' to Narcissa, allowing the slave bond to operate. His master had once offered to transfer the bond, to give him properly to his wife, but Narcissa had declined, stating that she wanted a husband not a slave. Hermione, who had found the transfer spell, just shrugged and said personally she wouldn't mind the former either.

Shortly after, she had met the man she had later married.

--------------------

They entered the Room of Requirement as a couple, arm in arm. As they saw the two occupants of the room, Severus detached himself from his wife, bowing deeply.

"How are you feeling, Severus?" asked Harry, now in his late fifties and the proud father of three.

"Tired of being a slave, Master."

"Good. I'm tired of being a master." Harry smiled briefly and nodded in greeting to Narcissa. "Amy decided not come?"

Amy was their daughter, who had just recently come of age. "No, she's staying with Draco at the moment."

It wasn't really surprising. Amy had grown up seeing her father disappear for six weeks every summer, and had soon identified Harry as the culprit. Naturally, she had hated him for it. And of course as soon as she had learned the reason for his absences, this hatred increased tenfold, even when both of her parents tried to convince her that it was not Harry's fault. She had, in fact, accused him on more than one occasion of enjoying her father's slavery.

Severus had not been happy with her.

Ginevra Potter entered the room, and he bowed again. "Mistress."

She smiled at him, and held up the documents in her hand, passing them over to him. "They're already signed, Severus."

He looked almost disbelievingly at the words in front of him. Two signatures, signing his immediate emancipation, removing the guardianship that had been a legal reality for almost thirty years. "Thank you, Mistress."

"You're welcome."

With everyone present, Hermione took charge. The Transfiguration teacher – recently promoted to Deputy Headmistress - was the reason that they had been allowed to use the school for this spell. "Okay, let's start. Severus – I'm sorry, but you'll need to be on your knees again."

Harry smiled softly and added encouragingly, "This is the last time, Severus. The last time ever."

He fell gracefully into a kneeling position, his head bent almost to the ground. The position felt normal, after decades of practice, but he kept that thought in mind. The last time. The very last.

Harry first removed the second spell that had been placed on him, the one giving him his limited freedom. He felt the mind link open for just a second, then disappear entirely. The link had actually come in useful on one occasion, when a former Death Eater had kidnapped him intent on gaining revenge. Harry had used the link to find his location, and then proceeded to both rescue him and imprison one more criminal in one fell swoop.

With one ritual over, Harry began the second, the incantation that would grant Snape his freedom. It was far quicker than the previous one, just two words. It felt rather insignificant for such a powerful spell really, as had the original curse, but then the killing spell was also only two words. Harry and Hermione had both spent weeks researching the spells, making sure that they had chosen the correct one.

As the spell was cast, it was as if a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders, and he gasped for breath. The feeling was unbelievable, indescribable, and he simply felt stunned. He lifted his head, started to say "Thank you Master," only to realise that he was no longer required to use that honorific. "Thank you, my Liege," he said instead, aware of the fact that the bond had not gone completely but simply altered, keeping his allegiances to his former master in place despite his freedom.

"Severus," said his new liege lord, "please, call me Harry."

"Thank you, Harry," he said, still overwhelmed. He allowed himself to be brought to his feet, and then clung to his wife in a desperate hug. Turning back, he added with gratitude, "Thank you Hermione… my lady…"

"It's Ginny. Just Ginny."

"Thank you, Ginny."

"Severus," said Harry gently, "you don't have to thank us. You're free now. Don't hang around here. Go home. See your daughter, invite Draco and his kids over. Spend time with your wife. Go and buy something valuable, or something else you haven't been able to do these past years. Be free."

He looked at the man who had tried his hardest to make his life bearable for the past three decades, and then nodded, his respect showing in his eyes. Then he turned and left without speaking. No bows, no honorifics. Just left Harry Potter's presence, his wife following behind him.

The three still standing in the room looked at each other.

"It's finally over."

"Thirty years. Sometimes I just never thought it would end."

Ginny nodded. "All our children grew up with him as a slave, serving them. They've never known him any different. I'm half surprised they turned out so well."

Hermione snorted. "The way you punished them that time they made him kneel, I'm not." She looked at the two of them, two of her oldest friends, and then smiled, gestured to the door. "Come on Harry, let's take your own advice. Let's go home."

They left, following in the wake of the man who was no longer a slave.

--------------------

**Author's Final Notes**

Well there you have it. A happy ending. Just took them thirty years to get there of course.

Obviously there's no way to do a sequel to this story. However, I did wonder about possibly doing a short one-shot about the Severus/Narcissa romance mentioned in the epilogue – would that interest anyone? I make no promises, but if enough people like the idea then I might consider it.

Hope you enjoyed the story.


End file.
